One-hand lid support



March 17, 1931. s, H wlsMER 1,796,551

0NE-HAND LID SUPPORT Filed Aug. 20, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l /Wd ,2/ MW ellfoinup March 17, 1931.- s, H, wlsMER ONE-HAND LID SUPPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 20, 1925 Patented Mar. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAMUEL H. WISMER, OF PALMYRA, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO VICTOR TALKING MACHINE COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY ONE-HAND LII) SUPPORT 4Application led August 20, 1925. `Serial No. V51,488.

This invention relates to a support for maintaining a movable member, such as the lid or cover of a talking machine cabinet, at a certain position of adjust-ment relative to the 5 supporting body.

Devices of this type heretofore proposed for the most part have necessitated the use of both hands of an operator to'actuate the same, one hand being employedin loosening a locking member and the other hand in adjusting the movable member. Devices have also been proposed which are operable by one hand, but these devices so far suggested are objectionable in that they have been expensive to manu- 16 facture, are subject to excessive wear, or do not present a pleasing appearance.

An object of the present invention is to overcome these defects and to provide an improved support which will eliminate the ne- 20 cessity for releasing a locking member, it being necessary only to adjust the movable member, which adjustment may be made by the use of only one hand. Another object of the invention is to provide a one-hand support that will include means for yieldingly maintaining the movable member in at least one position of adjustment. A further object of the invention is to provide a device which will effectively check the swing of the movable member, as it approaches closed position,

thereby eliminating noise and other undesirable eii'ects that result from a too rapid movement of saidmember. These and other objects will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention that is particularly adapted for use in talking machine cabinets. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the invention is adapted for use in many other combinations and is not limited to use in the particular combination illustrated in the drawings, where- Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating one embodiment of the present invention Iinstalled in a talking machine cabinetl Fig. 2 is a side elevation, somewhat enlarged, of the opposite side of the device shown in Fig. l;

F ig. 3 is an end view, partly in section, illustrating one manner in which the device l may be installed in a talking machine or other cabinet; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view, that portion of the invention shown being taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, 1 is a supporting body, as for example, the cabinet of a talking machine and 2 is a lid or cover which is movably secured in any suitable manner to a5 body 1 as by means of the usual hinges. Secured to supporting body 1, or to member 2, at any desired point, but preferably to the inner surface of body l is an oblong plate 3 which carries on its inner side a channel bar 7o 4. In the form shown the plate 3 and the bar 4 are mounted Aso that the latter extends into a recess 5 formed in the inner surface of body 1, but it will be understood that this is not essential as bar 4 may be mounted on the outer 75 surface of plate 3 and spacing washers may be employed between the plate 3 and body 1. To facilitate the mounting of plate 3, a strip 6, formed of any suitable material, such las wood, may be interposed between plate 3 and so body 1 for receivingscrews or other retaining members which extend through openings 3a into the body 1. Channel bar 4, which may be formed integrally with plate 3, is illustrated as being a separate member secured in any suitable manner to the surface of the plate 3, as by means of rivets 7, and is preferably provided with a longitudinal slot 4a registering with a similar slot 3?) formed in plate 3. Preferably, as is shown in the emv bodiment illustrated, the straight side walls 4b are not parallel but converge toward their left-hand ends, as viewed in Fig. 2, for a purpose to be described hereinafter. If desired the side walls 4b may be parallel throughout 95 a portion of their lengths while one or both of the same may be bent inwardly the remainder of the distance to provide the necessary convergence. It will be understood therefore that theterm converging as here- 1^" in employed covers the form of converging walls illust-rated as well as those which converge for a portion only of their lengths.

Slidably mounted between walls Ll?) is a block S which may be rectangular in shape and which is held in place between the walls by means of a pivot member 9 that is provided on its inner end with a washer 9 which is retained in place by a head 9a. pivotally mounted on the outer end of pin 9 is a link i() which is held in position by means of the outer head 9?) of the pivot pin and a washer 11 which is interposed between said link and the plate 3. The upper end of the link 10 is pivotally secured to an angle bracket 'l2 of any suitable construction attached at a suitable point to the inner surface of lid 2 by means of screws 13.

Resilient means of any suitable type are preferably provided for increasing frictional engagement between block 8 and the walls 4]) of the channel bar 4.-. In the form shown, this means comprises a leaf spring 14e of irregular shape that is secured in any desired manner to block 8 in such position that it contacts with the inner surface of one of the walls lo andv forces the opposite side of block 8 into engagement with the other of said walls.

Means are preferably provided for resiliently maintaining block S in at least one adjusted position. As shown, such means comprise a ball 15 positioned in a recess 8a formed in block 8 which lis pressed outwardly by' means of a spring 16 interposed between the ball and the bottom of recess 8a. A plurality of openings or recesses, one of which is illustrated at Llc, may be provided in the walls 4Z; in the path of ball 15, which opening or openings are adapted to be engaged by the ball for yieldingly maintaining the block 8 and member 2 in the desired position of adjustment.

Operation- The parts being in the position illustrated in Fig. 3 and it beingy desired to swing the lid or cover 2 to open position. it is only necessary to swing the front end of the lid upwardly and this movement is transmitted by bracket 12, link 10 and pivot pin 9 to the friction block 8, moving the latter toward the diverging portion of the side walls 4Z). When in raised position, ball 15 comes opposite opening 4c and is forced upwardly into said opening by the spring 15. The lid is thus resiliently maintained in open position. lVhen it is desired to lower the lid 2, it is only necessary to press the same downwardly by a slight pressure, whereupon spring 14 is compressed, relieving the pressure on ball l5 and, due to the curved surface of said ball, the latter is readily forced out of the opening 4i@ and block 8 moves to the left as viewed in Fig. I2. The taper of the side walls l?) prevents the closing of the cover with undue force, since these walls increase the pressure exerted by spring 14 on block 8 and thus the friction between the latter and the adjacent side wall 4b as it moves to the left as viewed in Fig. 2.

The lid or cover can be opened and closed without noise and without the necessity of performing two operations or employing two hands. It will be evident that more than one ball and spring and more than one opening alc may be provided for yieldingly maintaining the cover in various positions of adjustment, and that by properly proportioning the size of block 8 and the strength of the spring 16, or springs, depending on the number used, the use of spring 14 may be ren dered unnecessary. Various other changes may be made in the structure without departing from the invention as defined in the following claims.

VVhat is claimed is 1. A device of the class described, comprising, in combination with a supporting body and a member mounted for movement relative vto said body, a guide member constituted by rigid converging guide portions secured to the supporting body, means slidably mounted between said converging portions and having frictional engagement therewith, and a link connected to said first named member and means.

2. A device of the class described, comprising, in combination with a supporting body and a member mounted for movement relative to said body, a guide member constituted by two rigid converging walls secured to the supporting body, means slidably mounted between said walls and having frictional engagement therewith, and a link pivotally connected to said lirst named member and means.

3. A device of the class described, comprising, in combination with a supporting body and a member mounted for movement relative to said body, a guide member constituted by rigid converging guide portions secured to the supporting body, a member slidably mounted between said portions, resilient means interposed between said last-named member and one of said portions to cause frictiona-l engagement of said sliding member with one of said guide portions, and a link pivotally connected to said last-named and said first-named members.

Il. A device of the class described, comprising, in combination` with a supporting body anda member mounted for movement relative to said body, a guide member constituted by rigid converging portions secured to the supporting body, an element slidably mounted between said portions, resilient means in terposed between said? element and -one of said portions to cause frictional engagement of said element with one of said portions, means carried by said element for yieldingly maintaining the latter in adjusted position,

and a link connected to said element and member.

5. A device of the class described, comprising, in combination with a supporting body and a member mounted for movement relative to said body, a guide member constituted by converging portions secured to the supporting body, an element having a recess therein slidably mounted between said portions, yielding means mounted in said recess for engagement with one ot said portions, resilient means interposed between said element and one of said portions, and a link connected to said member and element.

6. A one-hand lid support comprising, in combination with a cabinet and a lid pli-- otally secured thereto, a channel bar having converging side walls secured to the cabinet, a block slidably mounted between said walls, resilient means interposed between the block and one of said walls, a link pivotally connected to said lid and ried by the block for yieldingly maintaininU said lid in open position. i

A device of the class described, comprising a channel member having rigid converg ing side walls, resilient means slidably mounted between and in rictional engagement with said walls, and supporting means operatively connected to said resilient means.

8. A device of the class described, comprising a channel member having rigid converging side walls, resilient means slidably mounted between and in frictional engagement with said walls, means for yieldingly maintaining said resilient means in a predetermined position relative to said channel member, and supporting means operatively connected to said resilient means.

9. A device of the class described, comprising a channel member, a block slidably mounted between the walls of said member, resilient means between and engaging the block and one of said walls, means engaging the other of said walls for yieldingly retaining said block in a predetermined position relative t0 said channel member, and supporting means operatively connected to said block.

10. A one-handed lid support comprising, in combination with a cabinet and a lid pivotally secured thereto, a channel bar having a longitudinal slot therein secured to the cabinet, a block slidably mounted between the walls of the bar, resilient means interposed between the block and one of said walls, a member operatively connected to the lid, means exending through said slot for connecting said member to the block and for retaining the latter in engagement with the walls of the bar, and means carried by the block and adapted to engage one of the walls of the bar for yieldingly maintaining said lid in open position.

11. A one-hand lid support comprising, in combination with a cabinet and a lid pivblock, and means ear- Y otally secured thereto, a channel bar secured to the cabinet, a block slidably mounted between'the walls of said bar, resilient means interposed between the block and one of said walls, a member operatively connected to the block and to said lid, and means carried by the block and adapted to engage an opening in one of said walls for yieldingly maintaining said lid in a predetermined position.

l2. A device of the class described, comprising a channel member, a block slidably mounted between and in rictional engagement with one of the walls of said member, a curved spring secured to the block and slidably engaging one of said walls, means cooperating with said spring for maintaining the block in a predetermined position relative to said channel member, and supporting means operatively connected to said block.

V13. A device of the class described, comprising a channel member, a block slidably mounted between and in frictional engagement with one of the walls of said member, a curved spring secured to the block and slidably engaging one of said walls, and supporting means operatively secured to said block.

14. A one-hand lid support comprising, in

combination with a cabinet and a lid there- 9 for, a pair of walls secured to the cabinet, a member slidably mounted between said walls, connecting means including a link operatively secured to said member and said lid, and a resilient element between said'member and one of said walls and normally held in compression therebetween, said resilient element being movable with said member.

l5. A one-hand lid support comprising, in combination with a cabinet and a lid therefor, a pair of walls secured to the cabinet, a block slidably mounted between and in frictional engagement with one of said walls, means including a link operatively secured to said block and to said lid, and a curved spring between said block and one of said walls and normally held in compression therebetween.

16. A device of the class described comprising, in combination with a cabinet and a lid therefor, a pair of walls secured to the cabinet, a block slidably mounted between the walls, connecting means including a link operatively secured to said block and said lid, friction resilient means between said block and one of said walls, and means carried by said block and adapted to engage one of said walls for yieldingly holding said block in p adjusted position.

17. In combination with a cabinet and a hinged lid therefor, a one-hand support for the lid comprising a rigid channel member fixed to the cabinet in angular relation to the hinge, a sliding block in the channel frictionally engaging the Walls thereof, a rigid link pivoted to the block and lid, and of such length as to prevent the lid from reaching a vertical position, the Walls of the channel converging at the end farthest from the hinge, in order to progressively increase the friction of the hloclr in the channel as the lid is closed.

18. In combination with a cabinet and a hinged lid therefor, a one-hand support for theV lid comprising a rigid channel member fixed to the cabinet in angular relation to the hinge, a sliding block in the channel frietionally engaging the Walls thereof, a rigid link pivoted to the block and lid, and of such length as to prevent the lid from reaching a vertical position, the Walls of the channel converging at the end farthest from the hinge, in order to progressively increase the friction of the block in the channel as the lid is closed, and yielding means for retaining the block in the end of the channel nearest the hinge to support the lid in its open position.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

SAMUEL H. WI SMEB. 

